I've said before... more money than brains!
Said by the man who shows 11 cars and a Cessna in his signature. I wonder what the people out there struggling to go to work in the only car they own--probably a crappy '98 Taurus--would have to say about you and your money?
The guy who bought one of the cutaway engines also bought the Mod Top Barracuda ($400K) and at least one other car, and bid on several other high-end cars (he was in the row ahead of me). Perhaps he earned his money by starting a business and employing people, and now wants to spend it his way, and not on a rotted-out C-body. We're free to spend our money our own way, brains or not.
Funny how we comment on the brains of a $200K cutaway Hemi buyer, but not the brains of the guy who bought the yellow 70 convertible Hemi Cuda for $1,980,000 or the Cobra for $2,860,000. These two guys clearly have small amounts of brains. Or maybe it was the same guy and he has no brains at all!
Ain't America Great Again?
I'd be curious about the demographic of the buyers. I suspect its a very small group of the same people mostly boomers.
I've been to many Mecum, BJ, and RM auctions (it's kinda my hobby) and the demo is certainly, absolutely boomers. The typical guys who are
actually buying most of the cars are self-made business owners (typically construction-related for some reason) or company executives wanting to recapture a time in their life when they could only dream about a 70 Vette or a big block Mustang. Average age looks to be 68, plenty of people in their early 70s....it's an older crowd for sure. Kids are out of college, house paid for, divorce paid for....and they want a cool car or two. Maybe to enjoy with their son. I've seen a lot of father/son teams at the auctions. Bravo.
Next comes the bucks-down buyer who isn't robbing his family of shoes and food, but is looking to spend $13K on an El Camino.
David Hill and I were sitting next to such a fellow for several hours. He was in a wheelchair and has been since 1973 when he was tossed out of his pal's crashing '70 Mustang (he mentioned that when a '70 crossed the block). But he still loves cars. Poor guy was amazed and disappointed that the Caminos (the Saturday cars, anyway) were in the $25K/up range. He should have been there on Wednesday, but he probably has to work for a living.
Then there are the well-heeled collectors, bidding against each other for the most collectible cars. There are lots of
very wealthy people in this country, and I don't mean friggin' movie stars or other famous types. At a big Mecum or BJ there's lots of 'em. At the Amelia auctions, there's some VERY well-heeled fellows buying Euro exotics. No rusty Darts for them.
And finally, the
vast majority of the crowd are curious and enthusiastic spectators who aren't really looking to buy a collector car, but just want to enjoy the show and rub elbows with the buyers. They clap and cheer like crazy when a buyer near them wins a car. Mecum makes it easy with a $20 entry fee.